St. Patrick’s Day Festivities!

St. Patrick’s Spring Fest
Limerick plays host to the St. Patrick’s Spring Fest and Limerick International Band Festival with something for the whole family. Highlights include the Limerick International Marching Band Competition and St. Patrick’s Day Parade, held from March 14-17.

Art Exhibition
The Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin is celebrating 100 years since Francis Bacon’s birth.  View inspirational items from the artist’s studio until March 7 with the exhibition “Francis Bacon: A Terrible Beauty”, comprised of paintings, drawings, photographs, unfinished works and slashed canvases.  Admission is free.

Film Festival
Ireland’s premier feature film festival, Jameson Dublin International, celebrates the best in Irish and International cinema February 18-28, with over 100 films and a range of special events, including post screening Q&A sessions with directors and cast members.

Getting Around Ireland
To enjoy all the Irish festivities, a BritRail Pass + Ireland will give you access to rail travel throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, plus England, Wales and Scotland.  Choose a validity to suit your itinerary; 5 or 10 days of unlimited rail travel within one month.

ACP Rail International’s attractive range of passes and point to point tickets offers great value, convenience and flexibility for exploring exciting destinations by rail. With leading railway partners, ACP Rail International is proud to provide travelers from around the world access to Eurail, Scandinavian Railways, Japan Railways, German Rail and BritRail of course!

Also known for being the official distributor of the BritRail product line since 2000, ACP Rail International continues to entice international travelers to visit Britain and explore its countryside by train via www.BritRail.com

From the UK and beyond, ACP Rail International is your source for rail passes, tickets, reservations and rail holiday packages www.ACPRail.com.

Wildlife Photography at The Natural History Museum

See the best from thousands of images submitted from amateur and professional wildlife photographers from 94 countries.  Now in its 46th year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition has a stunning collection viewable until April 11^th, 2010.

Pop Life: Art in a Material World at London’s Tate Modern

Enjoy how generations of artists since the 1980s have promoted their work by cultivating strong media personas and creating their own brand, including work by Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Andy Warhol until January 17^th, 2010

Beatles to Bowie: The 60s Exposed at the National Portrait Gallery

Find more than 150 rare portraits of legendary bands and iconic figures from the 60s, including The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and more.  Plus mementoes of the 1960s, including record sleeves, illustrated sheet music and pop magazines on display until January 24^th, 2010.

Turner and the Masters at Tate Britain

With around 100 paintings, the exhibition explores Turner’s influences and inspiration as one of the greatest landscape painters, alongside major pieces by the likes of Canaletto, Claude, Rembrandt and Rubens until January 31^st, 2010.

If your focus falls on South East England, allow the BritRail London Plus Pass to take you on day trips to great destinations just outside the hustle and bustle of downtown London.  https://booking.britrail.com/BritRail_London_Plus_Pass

Enjoy the best of the Highland’s rich heritage and culture with a program of over 100 events including spectacular street theatre, music, storytelling and world famous “ceilidhs” (a Scottish social gathering with traditional music, dancing, and storytelling).

Each local community has a different story to tell, so the Highland Homecoming team has helped devise original ways of celebrating the tremendous people and achievements of a range of Highland towns.

Check out the calendar of activities from walking tours, exhibitions, heritage theatre and of course lots of music; Nairn even has its very own Jazz Festival!  www.highlandeventsandfestivals.com

From Medieval to Art Nouveau

Enjoy the countryside and coastal views as you pull into Glasgow, which is situated just 42 miles from Edinburgh.  Glasgow has been named Scotland’s style capital, a well-deserved title, once you discover its art deco brasseries, stylish shops, cultural centers, more than 30 art galleries and museums and an annual program of performing arts and festivals.  Stroll along the River Clyde and take in your share of architecture and design.  Shopping, fine dining and nightlife aside, don’t miss Glasgow’s School of Art, The Burrell Collection and Glasgow Cathedral.

Glasgow School of Art

This landmark, which was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1896, is an important and influential art nouveau building in the world of architecture.  The Glasgow School of Arts remains a school so be sure to book a tour to explore the interior with Mackintosh’s famous flower motifs, a collection of Mackintosh furniture and its library – famous for its hanging clusters of lights and intricate woodwork.

The Burrell Collection

The Burrell Collection contains 9000 items from all over the world.  Sir William Burrell was a lifetime art collector who donated his collection to Glasgow in 1944.  Appreciate medieval art, tapestries, alabasters, stained glass and English oak furniture. There are many European paintings, including works by Degas and Cézanne, an important collection of Islamic art, and modern sculpture including works by Epstein and Rodin. All will be fascinated by the works from ages ago, from ancient China, Egypt, Greece and Rome.  www.glasgowmuseums.com

Glasgow Cathedral

Glasgow Cathedral is the best preserved example of a large church to have survived the Reformation, and has one of the finest collections of stained-glass windows in Britain. A truly magnificent medieval building, the Cathedral is named after St Mungo, Glasgow’s patron saint, and is built on the site of his tomb, marking the birthplace of the city.

Glasgow’s Merchant City Festival presents a diverse arts program featuring theater, music, comedy, film, visual arts, opera, dance, fashion and literature.  Attracting tens of thousands to Glasgow’s vibrant Merchant City, the Festival has opera singers in the courtyards and bars, thrilling street theatre from across Europe, top comedians and music from every genre in the bars and on the street.

Merchant City Festival has a wide range of contributors and truly showcases the best of what’s happening in Scotland.  All this plus fantastic shops and some of the best bars, and restaurants can be found within the Festival area.  For event listings please visit http://merchantcityfestival.com

The Big Chill will take place in Eastnor Castle Deer Park from August 6-9.

Located on the grounds of Eastnor Castle, which boasts a beautiful deer park and four lakes, the Big Chill music festival features a diverse line-up. In fact you can browse the latest list of performing artists – and you’ll see there are 63! http://www.bigchill.net

As there are hundreds of exciting festivals taking place in the UK in the coming months please visit www.efestivals.co.uk to find the one that you just can’t miss.

Attention all cricket fans!

The ICC World Twenty20 2009 is a world cricket event taking place in England from June 5^th to June 21^st.  The event, featuring 12 teams in the men’s tournament and eight teams in the women’s competition, will be take place at the following grounds:

Lord’s Cricket Ground, St. John’s Wood, London NW8 8QZ
The Oval, Kennington, London SE11 5SS
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, NG2 6AG
The County Ground, Taunton, Somerset TA1 1JT

The following countries are participating in the ICC World Twenty20: India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, England, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Ireland, Netherlands, West Indies and Scotland.  For schedules and more information please visit http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net